Leaving U-M

Whether you can continue to use your uniqname, MCommunity Directory profile, and standard computing services after leaving U-M depends on whether you retain any affiliation to the university.

Download or Transition Data From Your Account

If you will lose access to some or all U-M computing services, refer to Managing Your Digital Files and Information When You Leave U-M for information to help you transition files, messages, and other digital data that you want to keep.

Special Circumstances

Store or move personal information to personal accounts. We strongly encourage you to store your personal files, folders, email, or other personal data you may need to share with others in a personal account or to make sure to move those things to a personal account before leaving U-M. While you are allowed to use your U-M account for some personal business, it may be difficult for others, such as next of kin, to access personal information left in a U-M account after you leave.

Access to your closed account. Former employees who do not transfer files, messages, and other needed data out of their U-M account before they lose access can contact their former department for assistance. If the department considers it appropriate, the departmental sponsorship administrator can sponsor the former employee for temporary access to the account (if the account has not already been deleted).

Business access to another person's account. In cases where ownership of digital files and information is not transferred before an employee leaves the university—or when a U-M account holder becomes incapacitated or dies—units and others may need access to that information for U-M business reasons. In rare cases, people with a personal relationship to the account holder may want to retrieve personal materials held in a U-M account. For information about requesting access, refer to Getting Access to Someone Else's Account.

Deferred admission. Admissions applicants who are admitted and request to defer their admission to a future term will not be able to use U-M computing services, including U-M Google Mail, during this time. (Be sure to set up mail forwarding before deferring admission to ensure email sent to your @umich.edu email address is routed to your personal email account.)

  • Note: Applicants who defer their admission may receive an automated message sent by the MCommunity system stating that their affiliation has changed. For specific information on when your affiliation will change and how it impacts your access to U-M computing services, contact your school or college’s registrar.

Enrolled students who defer for one or more semesters. Existing students who defer for one or more semesters will usually remain “Active in Program.” This means they will retain the Student role in MCommunity and all the associated computing services. The number of semesters enrolled students can defer varies by school or college. For specific information on deferring, contact your school or college’s registrar.